Recipe 3: Basic Chicken Stock
My family has been going through much sadness the last couple of weeks and really no other food helps the body and mind more than chicken soup. This week I took on the challenge to cook Andrea’s Recipe 3: Basic Chicken Stock from scratch and I gotta say, it not only made us feel better physically, it helped us smile a bit!
“Grief is a beast that will never be tamed.” I saw this quote online the other day and it summed up how life has been feeling lately for myself and my family. My husband lost both of his parents last month so grief has completely been a beast and we are trying to figure out our new normal. I have been reading more and more about the grief journey and wow, it is complex. One thing I do know is that we gotta keep moving forward and eating healthy and finding the physical and mental energy to move every day is the best path to be on. Grief is a constant in each our our lives and we have a choice – let it take over and let us go down this dangerous path of unhealthy habits or we take control of our lives and do what we can. One thing we do have control over is what foods we put into our mouths. There is true power in this fact.
This week, after all of the amazing food was eaten that our friends and family have cooked for us, sent to us, and dropped on our porch, I picked up Andrea’s cookbook and said to myself, “It’s time to get back to cooking!” So, I paged through the cookbook and landed on page 99, “Basic Chicken Stock” and said to myself, “Chicken Soup for the soul!” I ran out to the grocery store and bought an entire chicken, veggies, fresh herbs and got to work. Another bonus is that a whole chicken is pretty affordable and you can make stock for many meals so this recipe helps to stretch the dollars a bit.
Many people in the health and wellness world truly believe that homemade chicken stock is “liquid gold” and I could not agree more. I know several people that always have a crockpot of homemade stock on their counter ready to be consumed! Stock contains a plethora of nutrients including collagen, gelatin, amino acids, minerals and trace minerals which are hard to find elsewhere. In addition, homemade stock provides rich flavor that can be used as a base for soups and stews or even enjoyed warm by itself in a coffee mug! Yes, you can buy healthy stock already made and I totally do that from time to time! Kettle and Fire is by far my favorite. Take note that chicken stock is not the same thing as chicken broth.
This batch of stock made two soups and I even froze some and added some to Slow Cooked Tomato Pepper Chicken.
P.S. We went to see a Candlelight Concert where they played Taylor Swift songs and it was truly amazing – chicken soup for the soul!
Julie and Julia – how about Betsy and Andrea!
My oldest, Madilyn, taught me how to make videos and I tried to make one myself. See for yourself over at my YouTube channel @BetsyMoore23. Please subscribe! My girls are helping me build my YouTube fans and we would love to see the numbers grow!
I followed Andrea’s recipe on page 98. Enjoy!
Keeping Track of Cooking Progress
Three recipes complete and I have kept track of it in my spreadsheet.
Here’s a screenshot of my spreadsheet. 😉
Would you consider making homemade chicken stock? Comment below.
If you’re interested in joining the cookbook challenge, DO IT! Comment here and let me know you want to follow along with me. Make it fun for you, whatever that looks like. If you want to cook through a different cookbook, that is fine too. Let me know what cookbook you’re cooking through, and I would love to keep up with your progress.
Have you ever tried cooking through a cookbook? Do you have any favorite cookbooks or where do you find new recipes?
Recipe 2: Creamy Polenta and Fried Eggs
Cook Through a Cookbook Challenge
Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, my Facebook group called The Bee’s Knees and here on my blog. Happy cooking!
